Our Thoughts Go Out to the Tornado-Ravaged Midwest

On Saturday, tornadoes tore through Illinois and Ohio, including areas in which ProMed has customers. We're relieved to learn that none of our customers' facilities were harmed by these storms, and we send our thoughts and wishes for a quick recovery to the people who were affected.

Congratulations to Donna Schroeder, ProMed's First Employee Spotlight Award Winner!

Congratulations to Donna Schroeder, the first-ever recipient of ProMed’s Employee Spotlight Award!

Donna has worked in the Purchasing department of ProMed for the past seven years. Her manager, Jim Arnold, shared what makes Donna such a valuable employee:

“She has never complained once and has never missed a day unexcused since she started. She is one of the nicest people I have ever met in my life. She makes my job easier. She is my lifesaver. I am so happy that ProMed picked her as the first winner. Do you know she bakes every Thursday for the warehouse crew?”

According to Donna, working with Jim is the best part of her job. “Jim makes the job fun and is always there for you,” she said. She’s also proud to be a member of Team ProMed, adding that “Everybody here is very friendly and easy to get along with.”

As the Employee Spotlight Award winner, Donna will be able to proudly display the Torch of Excellence at her desk for the month of June. She was also given a $100 cash award.

Congratulations, Donna!

Let's Go Blackhawks!

Don't forget to turn your facility's TVs to Game Four of the Stanley Cup finals tonight! The Blackhawks will be taking on the Flyers in Philadelphia at 7 p.m. CST. Since ProMed is headquartered in Chicagoland, you should have no trouble guessing which team we're rooting for!

Do you have any hockey fans at your facility? Which team are they rooting for?

AAHSA Applauds Improving Quality of Care in Nursing Homes Act

The American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging (AAHSA) is throwing their support behind Sen. Russ Feingold's introduction of the Improving Quality of Care in Nursing Homes Act.

The legislation, if passed, would call on researchers at the Institutes of Medicine (IOM) to study the care currently delivered at American nursing homes as well as the federal and state oversight system. Special emphasis will be paid to issues in nursing home oversight and quality standards enforcement. The researchers would then provide recommendations for improvement.

To learn more, click here.

To Reduce Falls, Check Your "Specs"

According to an article in the online version of McKnight's Long-Term Care News, seniors who wear multifocal prescription glasses can reduce their risk of falling by switching to single-focus lenses while walking outdoors.

During the study, when seniors who normally wear bifocal or multifocal glasses were given single-focus prescription lenses to wear outside, falls were reduced by 8%. There was a 40% fall reduction among seniors who were used to walking around outside, but seniors who typically spent time indoors actually saw an increased risk of falling, which suggests that single-focus lenses might not be a good solution for that group.

To learn more, click here.

Congratulations, Thad Perkins!

Congrats to ProMed Web Designer Thad Perkins, who welcomed a new addition to his family on May 29! Say hello to Rhys Thaddeus!

Expert Panel Releases Nurse Competencies for Nursing Home Culture Change

In 2008, an interdisciplinary expert panel was assembled by the Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing, the Coalition of Geriatric Nursing Organizations and the Pioneer Network. The panel was tasked with addressing culture change in nursing homes and making recommendations on how nurses could contribute to said change.

On May 27, the panel released a set of 10 nurse competencies to help promote and facilitate person-directed care and culture change in long-term care facilities. The competencies don't specify nurses' roles or the necessary level of educaiton for the licensed nurse. Some of them might apply more to nurses in administrative positions, while others are appropriate for nurses at all levels.

The 10 competencies are:

1. Models, teaches and utilized effective communication skills such as active listening, giving meaningful feedback, communicating ideas clearly, addressing emotional behaviors, resolving conflict and understanding the rold of diversity in communication.
2. Creates systems and adapts daily routines and "person-directed" care practices to accommodate resident preferences.
3. Views self as part of team, not always as the leader.
4. Evaluates the degree to which person-directed care practices exist in the care team and identifies and addresses barriers to person-directed care.
5. Views the care setting as the residents' home and works to create attributes of home.
6. Creates a system to maintain consistency of caregivers for residents.
7. Exhibits leadership characteristics/abilities to promote person-directed care.
8. Role models person-directed care.
9. Problem solves complex medical/psychosocial situations related to resident choice and risk.
10. Facilitates team members, including residents and families, in shared problem-solving, decision-making and planning.

To learn more, click here.